Neckties



April 26, 1966 J. T. SCULLY 3,247,522

NECKTIES Filed May 20, 1963 FIE-.4.

FIEi. FIEZ. FIE3.

United States Patent 3,247,522 NECKTIES John T. Scully, 235 W. 76th St, New York, N.Y. Filed May 20, 1963, Ser. No. 281,499 Claims. (Cl. 2157) The present invention relates to neckties generally and more particularly to neckties of the four-in-hand type.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a fourin-hand necktie having a neckband portion and which may be knotted in the usual manner whether on or oil the neck and then passed in knotted form over the wearers head to or from the neck, as the case may be, without danger of untying or unknotting the necktie. A further principal object is the provision of such a necktie which is easy and economical to manufacture and approximately as thin or fiat as the ordinary necktie for packing or packaging for transit and which will present as good an appearance as the ordinary four-in-hand necktie. Other objects will become apparent from the description taken in connection with the accompanying, drawing.

In the use of four-in-hand neckties having neckband portions to substantially encircle the wearers neck, the wearer, commonly, unties the necktie to remove it from his neck with the result that to be worn another time the necktie must be knotted all over again which is time consuming. There are occasions when it is desirable to save time in applying a necktie to the neck such as in the case of persons whose employment requires that daily their neckties be changed at or near the place of employment to other neckties required as a part of a uniform; other cases require fast dressing, for example, on the part of train or bus commuters to business. The present invention has particular utility in that the user may rapidly enlarge the neck-encircling portion of the necktie by drawing the extreme outer end of the inner depending portion up to but not through the knot and then pass the tie over the head still in knotted form without danger of the wearers head causing the end to be pulled through the knot to untie the knot accidentally and with the convenience that the extreme outer end of the inner depending portionis left disposed outside the knotat the bottom thereof whereby the outer end may be conveniently grasped subsequently to draw it downwardly away from the knot to reduce the enlarged size of the neck encircling portion of the necktie to fit around the neck.

In the drawing, in which similar reference numerals or characters refer to similar or corresponding parts throughout the several views: FIG. 1 is a front view of the improved four-in-hand necktie; FIG. 2 is a rear View of same with parts broken away to show inner parts; FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary rear view of a part with parts folded outwardly to show inner parts and with a part broken away to show inner parts; FIG. 4 is a front view of parts shown in rear View in FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a partly elevational and sectional view of parts shown in FIG. 3, the sectional view being taken on line 55 of FIG. 3, but with parts of FIG. 3 folded back in normal position as, for example, in the bottom end of FIG. 2; FIG. 6 is a rear view of the necktie shown tied in at Windsor" knot and showing the small end or inner depending portion as having been slidably drawn through the knot to its stop position; FIG. 7 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of a modification of parts; and FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view of a modification of parts shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawing:

The flexible, four-in-hand necktie, generally designated 3,247,522 Patented Apr, 26, 1966 10, shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 inclusive comprises the usual intermediate, neckband or neck-encircling portion 11 disposed between the big end or outer depending portion 12 and the small end or inner depending portion 13, the latter having an outer end 13' and an inner end 13" and comprising a front member 13x and a rear member 13y. Preferably, the tie is relatively long, having a preferred length of approximately fifty-five or fifty-six inches. In the usual manner, a cover 14 is folded and secured over a lengthwise resilient lining 15 which latter extends through the neckband portions and into the depending portions to within a short distance of the opposite ends of the necktie and, in the well known manner, opposite ends of the cover are folded transversely towards the neckband portion so that the inner portion 16 of the cover serves as a lining member and its exposed face shows the same color and design as the outer face of the cover. As a result of this transverse fold, a pocket 17 is formed in the necktie and into the pocket 17 of the depending small end 13 from the top edge 13 of the pocket a stopper member 19 is inserted downwardly in the pocket and disposed at the pointed bottom of the pocket. Stopper member 19 is, preferably, stiff and unyieldable so as to retain its shape and size and may be made of any suitable material and in any suitable shape and size and may be of any degree of stiffness or non-warping quality suitable for its function. As shown herein, stopper member 19 is made of a very light weight synthetic material in the form of a plastic generally similar to pieces called chips used in games such as Parcheesi, roulette or poker, which pieces are usually in the form of flat, circular, thin discs. I have found that a lightweight circular piece of plastic having a diameter of one and one-eighth inches and a thickness of approximately one-sixteenth of an inch will not cause damage by cutting the textile material of the necktie and will be generally satisfactory for the purpose of flat packing or packaging and for the purpose of positively stopping the depending small end portion 13 from being completely drawn through the knot while, at the, same time, presenting a wide enough and otherwise sufficiently large inner depending portion remaining outside the bottom of the knot to be conveniently grasped by the fingers to draw the depending small end back into its normal or regular position. In order to retain the stopper 19 on the extreme or pointed end of the depending small end of the necktie concealed in pocket 19, or concealed and carried by any other suitable means, any suitable means may be employed, but I have found it to be convenient and quick, both for inserting and fastening, to first place a short strip of adhesive or surgical tape 20 against a face of the stopper member 19 to adhere thereto and make a unit and then insert the unit in the pocket, the inclined sides of the pointed end of the depending portion tending to serves as guides for the disc, and then press the upper end of the adhesive face of the adhesive strip rearwardly against the material forming the rear side of the pocket to adhere thereto (as shown' in FIGS. 3 and 5 The adhesive strip will hold the stopper in proper position in the pocket with only the slightest, if any, tendency for the stopper to swing as a pendulum and combines or cooperates with the flat, pressed shape of the necktie to prevent rotary movement of the stopper member 19. Of course, if desired, the top of the pocket may be left open, but, since over a period of time, the stopper end of the necktie may be grasped by the fingers and pulled downwardly a considerable number of times, it is preferable to secure the top edge of the pocket to the rear face of the front part of the cover in any suitable manner as, for example, using .a short strip of adhesive or surgical 3 tape 21 (as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5) to fasten the parts together directly above the part to be grasped so as to prevent the rear side of the pocket from being pulled down out of its proper position as the depending small end of the necktie is drawn downwardly or away from a position adjacently below the bottom of the knot.

Referring specifically to FIG. 6, in which the necktie is shown knotted, it will be observed that the necktie is shown tied in a four-in-hand knot 22 in the form of the so called Windsor knot and in which the outer depending big end portion 12 has been folded over the inner depending small end portion 13 a number of times thereby providing an inner fold 23, an intermediate fold 24 and the outer fold 25 in the big end portion. The knot, especially fold 23, provides a tubular passage in which the depending small end portion 13 is longitudinally slidable and it will be observed that portion 13 has been drawn through the knot in the direction towards the neckband portion 11 to increase the size of the neck-encircling loop so as to make passage of it over the wearers head easy. In the position shown, the portion 13 has been drawn through the knot as far as the stiffened outer or bottom end of portion 13 will permit because stopper member 19 will not collapse and prevents collapse of portion 13 in this region and thereby stops the portion 13 in the relative position shown with member 19 outside of but closely adjacent the bottom of the knot. When the wearer has looped the necktie in knotted form over his head and down on his neck, he will seize the bottom end of portion 13 with his fingers disposed opposite the faces of stopper member 19 and draw portion 13 downward until the neckbaud portion 11 properly fits the neck. When the wearer wishes to remove the necktie from his neck, in knotted form, he will seize the neckband portion 11 and draw portion 13 through the knot in the direction towards the neckband and as far as it can be drawn in that direction, as herein shown or to an approximately similar position. The necktie may, at any time, for example for cleaning or pressing, be untied in the usual manner. The Windsor knot is shown for illustration and it will be understood that the necktie can be tied in any other well known four-in-hand knot and with similar results.

In some instances, stopper member 19 may be omitted and the outer extreme end of portion 13 may be stiffened by starching or sizing for the purpose.

In the modification shown in FIG. 7, the depending small end portion 13a of necktie a differs from portion 13 of necktie 10 in that pocket 17a is formed by stitching a piece of material 26 to the folded inclined bottom edges of the cover 14a in the well known manner. -In other respects necktie 10a is similar to previously described necktie 10.

In the modification of a part shown in FIG. 8, the stopper member is shown in the form of a ring 1% for economy of material and for lighter weight. The bottom end of an adhesive strip extends adhered to the ring from the front face of the ring over the periphery to the rear face as at 27 and the upper adhesive end 28 is opposite the hole of the ring and in position to be pressed into or through the hole into adhesive contact with the necktie as previously shown and described or in any other suitable manner.

The improved necktie may be commercially persented in untied form or in knotted form or both.

While I have shown and described several embodiments of the invention, these should be considered by way of illustration and not as limitations and the invention may be presented in other embodiments without departure from the spirit and scope of the claims.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A necktie of the four-in-hand type comprising two ends and having one of said ends relatively larger than the other and flexibly constructed to be folded over the relatively smaller end to provide a knot and an outer dependmg portion of the necktie with said smaller end disposed as the inner depending portion of the necktie and slidably movable through said knot thereof, said smaller end having an outer cover member comprising a tubular portion having outer and inner ends, said smaller end having front and rear members, said front and rear members each having outer and inner ends, the front member being relatively longer than said rear member and having its outer end projecting lengthwise beyond the tubular portion of the cover member and the outer end of said rear member, a pocket in said front member on said outer end thereof extending inwardly on said front member into the tubular portion of the cover member towards, but not to, said inner end of the front member, the pocket having a concealed top disposed wholly inside the tubular portion of said smaller end and intermediate the outer and inner ends of said tubular portion, means concealed wholly inside said tubular portion closing the top of said pocket, and a stopper member in said pocket to limit the sliding movement through said knot of said smaller end.

2. A necktie of the'four-in-hand type comprising two ends and having one of said ends relatively larger than the other and flexibly constructed to be folded over the relatively smaller end to provide a knot and an outer depend ing portion of the necktie with the smaller end disposed as the innner depending portion of the necktie and slidably movable through said knot thereof, said smaller end having a cover member with a tubular portion and comprising front and rear members each having an outer and an inner end and an outer and inner side, said front member being relatively longer than said rear member and having its outer end projecting lengthwise beyond the tubular portion of the cover member and the outer end of said rear member, a lining member on said front member on said outer end thereof and extending inwardly on said front member into the tubular portion of the cover member and towards but not to said inner end of the front member and disposed between the inner side of said front member and the innner side of said rear member, said lining member forming with said front member a pocket having a closed bottom and having a concealed top disposed wholly inside the tubular portion of said smaller end and intermediate said bottom and said inner end of the smaller end, a stopper member in said pocket to limit the sliding movement through the knot of said smaller end, and wholly concealed means on said smaller end disposed wholly inside said tubular portion thereof connecting the top of said pocket to the inner side of said front member and thereby closing the pocket at its top.

3. A necktie of the four-in-hand type comprising two ends and having one of said ends flexibly constructed to be folded over the other end to provide a knot and an outer depending portion of the necktie with said other end disposed as the inner depending portion of the necktie and slidably movable through said knot thereof, a pocket in said other end, the pocket having two sides oppositely disposed, a stopper member in said pocket to limit the sliding movement through said knot of said other end, and fastening means only inside the pocket and engaged with but not into a side thereof and engaged with said stopper member for securing the stopper member in said pocket.

4. A necktie of the four-in-hand type comprising two ends and having one of said ends flexibly constructed to be folded over the remaining end to provide a knot and an outer depending portion of the necktie with the remaining end disposed as the inner depending portion of the necktie and slidably movable through the knot thereof, said remaining end having front and rear members and inner and outer ends, a pocket in said remaining end disposed on the outer end thereof, the pocket having a top and a bottom, said bottom of the pocket being closed, the top of said pocket being disposed intermediate the inner end and the outer end of said remaining end, a stopper mem her in said pocket to limit the sliding movement through said knot of said remaining end, and adhesive means connecting the top of the pocket to said front member of said remaining end and thereby closing the pocket at References Cited by the Examiner its top.

5. A necktie of the four-in-hand type comprising two UNITED STATES PATENTS ends and having one of said end flexibly constructed to 1,298,565 3/1916 ROdeIPaCK be folded over the remaining end to provide a knot and 5 1,386,429 8/1921 Schmldt 2 157 an outer depending portion of the necktie, said remaining 114351006 11/1922 Home 2-157 X end having inner and outer ends and being slidably mov- FOR PATENTS able through said knot, a pocket in said remaining end, 167,495 5/1934 Switzerland. and a stopper member in the form of a rlng earned on said remaining end 011 said outer end thereof and in Said POCkEi. 10 JORDAN FRANKLIN Prinary Exaniner. thereof to limit the sliding movement through said knot A f said remaining end. P. D. LAWSON, Assistant Examiner, 

5. A NECKTIE OF THE FOUR-IN-HAND TYPE COMPRISING TWO ENDS AND HAVING ONE OF SAID ENDS FLEXIBLY CONSTRUCTED TO BE FOLDED OVER THE REMAINING END TO PROVIDE A KNOT AND AN OUTER DEPENDING PORTION OF THE NECKTIE, SAID REMAINING END HAVING INNER AND OUTER ENDS AND BEING SLIDABLY MOVABLE THROUGH SAID KNOT, A POCKET IN SAID REMAINING END, AND A STOPPER MEMBER IN THE FORM OF A RING CARRIED ON SAID REMAINING END OF SAID OUTER END THEREOF AND IN SAID POCKET THEREOF TO LIMIT THE SLIDING MOVEMENT THROUGH SAID KNOT OF SAID REMAINING END. 